The right sunglasses protect your vision

Saturday

Jun 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Protecting your eyes from harmful sunlight is as important as shielding your skin. “Just as we know that the sun can damage the skin and cause increased rates of skin cancer and skin damage, the sun can...

By TOM MEADE

Protecting your eyes from harmful sunlight is as important as shielding your skin.

“Just as we know that the sun can damage the skin and cause increased rates of skin cancer and skin damage, the sun can also damage many tissues of the eye,” says ophthalmologist Rachel Bishop at the National Institutes of Health’s National Eye Institute. “It can lead to changes that produce a great deal of discomfort on the surface of the eye and we understand now that it can lead to increases rates of cataract, macular degeneration, diseases of the retina.”

Glaucoma can make eyes highly sensitive to light and glare, and some glaucoma medications can worsen the sensitivity, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation,

Sunglasses are an easy solution that makes life more comfortable when outdoors, while also providing critical protection from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Ophthalmologists and optometrists now recommend wearing sunglasses and a brimmed hat whenever you’re in the sun long enough to get a suntan or a sunburn.

Sunglasses don’t have to be expensive to protect your eyes, and they can often be found at the local drugstore, according to the glaucoma foundation.

“Don’t be deceived by color or cost,” says a foundation bulletin. “The ability to block UV light is not dependent on the darkness of the lens or the price tag. While both plastic and glass lenses absorb some UV light, UV absorption is improved by adding certain chemicals to the lens material during manufacturing or by applying special lens coatings. Always choose sunglasses that are labeled as blocking 99 to 100 percent of UV rays. Some manufacturers’ labels say ‘UV absorption up to 400nm.’ This is the same thing as 100 percent UV absorption.”

Some studies have shown that enough UV rays enter around standard sunglass frames to reduce the protective benefits of the lenses, so wrap-around glasses offer additional protection.

Sunglasses should screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light. To determine if a pair is dark enough, try the glasses on in front of a mirror. If you can see your eyes easily through the lenses, they probably are too light.

Mirror coatings can reduce the amount of visible light entering the eyes, and they offer protection to the skin surrounding the eye area. UV protection, however, is not guaranteed.

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